Observation/Reflection #1: Starting From the Beginning
During this observation, focus on how class begins. Where is your CT before class begins? What is he or she doing? Using the clock on the wall, determine when your CT establishes order and begins class. How did she/he start their lesson? How is homework from the previous night reviewed/collected/assessed? How does your CT engage students during the opening of the lesson? Is the approach your CT used during this lesson consistent with what you know about how students learn?
Observations:
On Monday, September 26th I spent 3 periods with my cooperating science teacher, Susan Gibbons, at the Block Island School. I spent the first period with the 8th grade Physical Science class, second period she had a plan so we discussed my unit plan and the video-taped lesson I am teaching next week for EDC 574 and third period I observed the 9th grade Earth Science class. In both classes, she was at the front of the room greeting her students with a smile as they walked in and took their seats. She answered students' questions and chatted with them until the last student took their seat then she started her class asking how everyone was doing. After the grumbles, she reminded her students that they had a chapter one test the following day (tuesday). This class being new to the high school, seemed a bit on edge and nervous getting ready for their first high school science test. Their homework for the weekend was to go over the questions they were assigned and answer them and come into class with questions/concerns about the content so that they could be answered or corrected so they would use this as a study guide to help them study for their exam. She graded it as homework as a check mark but didnt individually collect them as they were study guides they had created in their notebooks from questions in the book. She organized the class into a discussion and they went around the classroom answering each question and helping ease their anxiety in preparation for their upcoming test. The students did have questions and it was a successful discussion. Together we helped students summarize their answers, so they were concise. I actively participated in the conversation and helped answer students questions so they had their misconceptions cleared up so they were ready and prepared for their test.
This was an ongoing lesson from the previous week so the students weren't engaged in the beginning of the class as you would say. They knew their task and they all were eager to go over their study guides to be adequately prepared for their test. This happened in both classes. They went through the study guides they created from the questions in their book and worked together to go over their answers and make sure they were on the right track. I think that this is a good approach to helping first year high school students to help prepare them for their first big test. They were assigned questions to answer that served as a study guide so the students were previewed again to the information they would have to know to be successful in doing well on their upcoming test. Then they had time to go over the questions, then come back and work together to ask questions and clear up anything that confused them. This is really scaffolding them. I think its important to ease them through this transition period. I think it will be very effective for them to help them know what is important and what they will see on their exam so there is no surprises, and it sets them up for success.
Reflections:
I think that it is important to really scaffold the young students during this transition phase into high school. The teacher is trying to mold the students from middle schoolers to responsible high school students and get them into the swing or routine slowly. She dosen't want her students to be lost, anxious or overwhelmed. I think that by having them create study guides and asking questions it sets them up for success immediately to do well on their exam. The study guide serves to show them what material is most important, then by going over questions that they have and having students discuss their answers they are able to gain insight and perspective and clear up any misconceptions they may have had. If gives them something solid to study from so they can hopefully be adequately prepared for their test. I like this method and really respect it. If it were my class, I would come up with some sort of reward program so students could earn points to go toward their test grades or average to ease their anxiety but to also motivate them in the classroom to accumulate points and have fun doing so. It could be extra credit on the exams or points from answering questions in class, but a program that they can do something to earn an extra point here or there to just make them motivated, keep them on task and quench their education thirst.
Class Topic: Study preparation for first exam on chapter 1 in physical science and earth science Grade: 8 & 9 Observed by: Roberta Closter
Observation/Reflection #1: Starting From the Beginning
During this observation, focus on how class begins. Where is your CT before class begins? What is he or she doing? Using the clock on the wall, determine when your CT establishes order and begins class. How did she/he start their lesson? How is homework from the previous night reviewed/collected/assessed? How does your CT engage students during the opening of the lesson? Is the approach your CT used during this lesson consistent with what you know about how students learn?Observations:
On Monday, September 26th I spent 3 periods with my cooperating science teacher, Susan Gibbons, at the Block Island School. I spent the first period with the 8th grade Physical Science class, second period she had a plan so we discussed my unit plan and the video-taped lesson I am teaching next week for EDC 574 and third period I observed the 9th grade Earth Science class. In both classes, she was at the front of the room greeting her students with a smile as they walked in and took their seats. She answered students' questions and chatted with them until the last student took their seat then she started her class asking how everyone was doing. After the grumbles, she reminded her students that they had a chapter one test the following day (tuesday). This class being new to the high school, seemed a bit on edge and nervous getting ready for their first high school science test. Their homework for the weekend was to go over the questions they were assigned and answer them and come into class with questions/concerns about the content so that they could be answered or corrected so they would use this as a study guide to help them study for their exam. She graded it as homework as a check mark but didnt individually collect them as they were study guides they had created in their notebooks from questions in the book. She organized the class into a discussion and they went around the classroom answering each question and helping ease their anxiety in preparation for their upcoming test. The students did have questions and it was a successful discussion. Together we helped students summarize their answers, so they were concise. I actively participated in the conversation and helped answer students questions so they had their misconceptions cleared up so they were ready and prepared for their test.This was an ongoing lesson from the previous week so the students weren't engaged in the beginning of the class as you would say. They knew their task and they all were eager to go over their study guides to be adequately prepared for their test. This happened in both classes. They went through the study guides they created from the questions in their book and worked together to go over their answers and make sure they were on the right track. I think that this is a good approach to helping first year high school students to help prepare them for their first big test. They were assigned questions to answer that served as a study guide so the students were previewed again to the information they would have to know to be successful in doing well on their upcoming test. Then they had time to go over the questions, then come back and work together to ask questions and clear up anything that confused them. This is really scaffolding them. I think its important to ease them through this transition period. I think it will be very effective for them to help them know what is important and what they will see on their exam so there is no surprises, and it sets them up for success.
Reflections:
I think that it is important to really scaffold the young students during this transition phase into high school. The teacher is trying to mold the students from middle schoolers to responsible high school students and get them into the swing or routine slowly. She dosen't want her students to be lost, anxious or overwhelmed. I think that by having them create study guides and asking questions it sets them up for success immediately to do well on their exam. The study guide serves to show them what material is most important, then by going over questions that they have and having students discuss their answers they are able to gain insight and perspective and clear up any misconceptions they may have had. If gives them something solid to study from so they can hopefully be adequately prepared for their test. I like this method and really respect it. If it were my class, I would come up with some sort of reward program so students could earn points to go toward their test grades or average to ease their anxiety but to also motivate them in the classroom to accumulate points and have fun doing so. It could be extra credit on the exams or points from answering questions in class, but a program that they can do something to earn an extra point here or there to just make them motivated, keep them on task and quench their education thirst.
Class Topic: Study preparation for first exam on chapter 1 in physical science and earth science
Grade: 8 & 9
Observed by: Roberta Closter